by K E Osborn
She looked up and brought her hand up to caress my cheek. “You’re too sweet to me, Mike,” she said and then leaned down and pressed her soft lips to mine.
It took all my energy to not roll her over and kiss every inch of her. So, I played it safe and I moved my hand to the back of her head and held her lips to mine. She moved her body on top and a surge of passion swept through me. I groaned slightly as her tongue caressed mine and I felt every inch of her against me. I tried so hard to fight the movement in my pants, but she was kissing me so passionately and basically straddling me.
I was eighteen, I couldn’t help myself, she turned me on… she still does.
She pushed her tongue deeper into my mouth and my body reacted, my hands went to her hips and I ground up into her. She whimpered and ground down onto me. Well, I nearly let it all go then and there. I couldn’t fight the instinct any more. I held her tightly and turned her over so I was lying on top of her. I was careful not to put my entire weight on her. She was a small thing and I wasn’t, so I didn’t want to hurt her. Her hands were all over me and her touch was setting me on an un-extinguishable fire.
“Oh, Callie,” I moaned through our passionate kiss.
She moaned in response and held me tighter. I knew where I wanted this to go, but I wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do. Neither of us had gone ‘all the way’ with anyone, let alone each other, but that was exactly what I was wanting. To be joined with Callie, passionately and lovingly. She obviously felt the same when her hands moved to my shoulders and started to take off my jacket. I helped her and flung it off; she moved to my tie and undid it throwing it over with my jacket. I came back down to kiss her again. She moved dramatically and rolled us over so she was sitting on top of me. I was breathing hard at that point. That little show of confidence was enough to make me explode on the spot, but I didn’t. She looked into my eyes and I saw her swallow a lump in her throat, her hands moved down to the top button of her dress and I inhaled sharply, then moved my hand to cover hers. She looked at me with creased eyebrows.
“I love you Callie Ann King, but if you’re not ready, then please don’t think we have to do this because we don’t. I just want you to be sure and—”
She cut me off by moulding her lips to mine strongly and then pulling away just as quickly.
“Mike, you’re the only guy I’ve ever wanted to be with. I want to do this with you, here, tonight. Just me and you, no looking back. I want you Mike, all of you. I love you,” she said making me smile brightly as she leaned back down and kissed me slowly.
I took my time undressing her, so I could take in every inch of her delicate skin. I kissed every section of her delicious body and took as long as possible just enjoying her. She was panting with want by the time I actually got to the main part. I was nervous as hell; we were both shaking as I laid on top of her.
“Are you sure, Callie?” I asked before it went too far.
She nodded and smiled at me so brightly. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life Mike, I want you, I always have. Now let’s make love,” she said and moved her mouth to mine.
I took my time, it was amazingly difficult not to just go frantically and have my climax, but I needed this to be special for her, as well as for me. So, I lasted as long as I could with slow and steady movements, always asking if she was okay. I could tell it was hurting her a little by the look in her eyes, but she didn’t want to stop, so I made love to my girl in old man Harris’ barn, multiple times that night.
We stayed together in the barn for the entire night, the time crept away from us and before I knew what was happening, I woke to the sun shining in through the cracks in the roof. I sat up with a start when I realized we’d been out all night and Bernard would be looking for us.
“Callie, sweetheart, get up,” I insisted, reaching for my shirt and pulling it over my head. She groaned and covered her eyes with her forearm. “Callie, I’m serious your dad is going to slaughter me,” I asserted, as I started to panic.
She bolted upright and looked around the barn and then finally at me as I stood and walked over to my pants. I could feel her eyes burning holes right through my butt cheeks; I just hoped she liked what she saw. I turned around and she looked straight at my length. I rolled my eyes and bent down to put on my pants. She giggled and bit her lip. I was pretty sure she was reliving last night. I know I was, as I looked over at her naked body sitting confidently on the haystack.
“Do we really have to go? Haven’t you earned enough money from the O’Connell’s, so we can run away together?” she asked somberly, she already knew the answer and the look on her face showed that she was hoping I’d tell her something different. But the truth is, I hadn’t earned nearly enough for a car of my own, let alone a house for us.
“Callie, you know as soon as I have enough for us I’ll take you anywhere you want to go, I would buy you the world if I could, and if it would make you happy. But I have to stick this job out just a little longer so I can afford to give you everything you deserve. I know it’s not the greatest when I’m working and I know you feel neglected, but I swear honey that I’m doing everything within my power to make us work. I’m in this Callie,” I said and pulled my pants up completely. I walked over and sat down next to her. I could see she was disheartened, and I hated that I’d done that to her, but the fact of the matter was that the O’Connell’s, while being nice and taking me on, the pay I received was dismal. At this rate, we’d be in our forties by the time I had enough money saved for us. She took my hand and raised it to her lips kissing it tenderly.
“Mike, I can wait, I’ve waited two years, what’s another two?” she asked with a smile that melted and broke my heart at the same time. I wrapped my arm around her and she cuddled into my side. I kissed her head as the realization hit me. No matter how hard I worked and saved, it would never be enough for her. She was expecting us to be settling down in two years when the reality was much, much different. She would be waiting for me for years and I’m only being selfish by making her stay and wait for a tomorrow that may never come. I held her so tightly as I struggled with my inner turmoil, trying to hold back the tears that were forming in my eyes.
“I love you, Mike,” she said quietly and then her eyes met mine.
I smiled and leaned in to kiss her softly.
“I will always love you, Callie… always.” And I closed my eyes before the tears fell out of them.
If you love them, then let them go.
That’s the stupid motto everyone always talks about, and did I love Callie? With every fiber of my being I loved her, but would she be better with Alistair? He will always have money behind him; he’s studying finance somewhere in the city, so I know he could give her the life she so richly deserved.
“C’mon lets go face your parents,” I said. She nodded and leaned over to pick up her dress.
We arrived at the King mansion and Bernard was on the front doorstep waiting. I swallowed hard when I pulled in and he stood with arm folded across his chest. His face was contorted with rage and I knew the next few minutes would be the worst of my life. I stopped the rust bucket, got out of the car and then shot a sly glance at Bernard. He was livid, as I guess he should be. I did keep his daughter out all night when she had an eleven o’clock curfew.
I walked around and opened Callie’s door. When she got out she tried to avoid all eye contact with her father. She looked at me and I faked a smile. She took my hand and I led her to the front porch where Bernard was tapping his foot impatiently waiting. I had no idea what to say. I knew I’d done wrong, I should’ve taken her home last night and I should never have gone all the way with her. But I guess in some sad, twisted way at least I would always have the memory of her.
“And what time do you call this then?” Bernard boomed loudly, making Callie jump. I held her hand slightly tighter and she leaned into my side.
“I’m sorry Mr. King, I know it’s no excuse, but we lost track of time and we—”
“Let me guess, you fell asleep?” he questioned, raising his eyebrow in suspicion.
“Daddy, stop it, it wasn’t Mike’s fault. We were having so much fun at the dance and then we did actually just fall asleep, I swear, and as soon as Mike woke this morning he brought me straight home, because he knew we’d broken curfew and you’d be angry. So don’t blame Mike, Daddy, I’m just as much to blame as he is,” she reasoned and I looked at her lovingly.
“So, he takes you out all night and brings you home late looking like you’ve been up all night romping, and then what… you talk for him? Can’t the boy speak for himself?” Bernard asked.
I took a deep breath and sighed. “Mr. King, I’m so sorry for bringing Callie home late, I assure you it will never happen again. In fact, I won’t be taking Callie out again, Sir,” I informed him as I felt Callie stiffen next to me. I swallowed and raised her hand to my lips then kissed it tenderly.
“What are you talking about Mike?” she asked softly, trying to not let her father see how upset she was.
The fact that I was about to hurt her nearly killed me. I was shaking and sweat topped my brow. This was the hardest thing I’d ever had to do, but to make Callie hate me was the only way I could think of getting her to move on, and into a life that she deserved. I wanted so much for her, she deserved to be treated like the royalty she was and there was no way I was ever going to be able to give her that. So, I had to let her go. I removed my hand from hers and took a step back; she stepped toward me and shook her head.
“Mike?” she questioned as I looked at the ground. I couldn’t look into her eyes, it hurt too much.
“Callie, go inside,” Bernard said sternly. I could tell he wanted her to leave so he could give me the ass whooping I deserved.
“No Daddy. Mike, tell me what’s going on right this instant!” she demanded and pushed my shoulders.
I winced and continued to look at the ground. “Callie, I can’t be with you.”
She huffed. “But what about last night? You told me you loved me?” Her tears started to fall and with each drop of salt water that fell from her eyes another section of my heart broke away. Her hands reached out and she grasped my arms, but I still couldn’t look at her.
“Callie, go inside, now!” Bernard demanded sternly as he walked over to us.
Callie started hitting my chest as she cried. I was breathing so heavily that I thought I might pass out.
“It’s better this way Callie, you’ll see,” I said, so softly. I knew that it was true, but it still hurt like hell to say it out loud.
“What’s better this way? What are you saying Mike?” she asked, taking my jacket in her hands and grasping while shaking me.
“Callie, I can’t see you anymore,” I choked out and took hold of her hands on my jacket. She started to really sob and her hands became free of mine and she slapped me across the face hard. I deserved that. I never should’ve gone all the way with her. I let my hormones run rampant and now she was hurting all the more for it. I hated myself, but I couldn’t see another option. I was out of her league and she deserved better than slum like me.
“Callie, inside, now!” Bernard yelled, taking her by the arm and dragging her away from me.
The look in her eyes still haunts me to this day. I was so in love with her and this would probably be the last time I’d ever see her.
“You’re a A-grade jerk, Mike O’Leary and I never want to see you, ever again,” she screamed through sobs as her father pushed her inside the house.
“Go to your room now and I’ll be there in a minute,” he yelled as she ran down the hall and out of my sight. I started to walk back to the rust bucket and I heard thunderous footsteps behind me. I knew I was about to be throttled. I turned around and leaned into the side of the car waiting for his fist to hit my jaw. I closed my eyes to stop the fear from showing and waited for the impact. Instead a got a slap on my arm and a heavy sigh. I opened one eye to see what the hell was going on and Bernard was staring at me with a frown, but no hint of anger, just sadness. I opened my other eye and raised my eyebrows in confusion.
“Mr. King I’m—”
“Save it kid, I saw right through your act. I can see how much my daughter means to you and so I understand why you just broke her heart. Now I’m not going to say that I’m happy that you broke her heart, but I am happy that you’ve made the decision for her. So, thank you, you’re a better man than I thought you were.
You’re a good kid, Mike and I know you love Callie but—”
“I can never give her the life she wants,” I interjected and hung my head low.
He patted me on the shoulder and exhaled. “No kid, you could never give her the life she needs,” he spoke the truth and my heart sank. I knew I’d made the right decision. So, why did it feel so wrong?
“Look Mike, like I said, you’re a good kid. You knew what you had to do. I didn’t even have to tell you. You’ve got your head screwed on and I know, in time you’ll love someone the way you love Callie,” he said and then ruffled my hair.
What am I seven?
I was almost an adult and that just made me feel about a million times worse.
“Thanks, Mr. King. I’d better get going, Mr. O’Connell will probably want his car back,” I said and walked around to the driver’s side.
“You did the right thing Mike, you should be proud of yourself.”
I got into the car and took off as fast as I could. I needed to be away from there. I needed to be away from her, otherwise I knew I’d cave and take her back in a heartbeat. I drove toward the O’Connell mansion, but it was getting hard to breathe. I was taking quick, shallow breaths and my hands were clenched so tight around the steering wheel I couldn’t feel them anymore. My vision was blurred so I had to pull over. I screeched the car to a halt on the side of the road and got out, and slammed the door hard. My hands fisted in my hair and I paced around in a circle trying to stop the panic that was engulfing me.
What had I done?
“Ahhh,” I screamed loudly and kicked the tire of the car, I walked around to the bonnet still with my hands in my hair and I sat down on the hood. My breathing was erratic and my heart was thudding so fast I could feel it disintegrating with each pulse. Then it happened, what I was trying to avoid, the tears fell like a river cascading down my face faster than the currents of the Mississippi. I was a wreck. I don’t know how long I sat on the rust bucket sobbing, but I knew that I would never love another, the way I loved Callie Anne King.
Chapter Three
I sat on the hood of the rust bucket for hours, most of the day really. I knew I was meant to be working for the O’Connell’s, but I couldn’t bring myself to move from the hood of the car. The sun started to set and somehow I managed to drag my sorry ass back into the car and drive to the O’Connell mansion. I knew they’d be angry with me for not turning up to work, well actually they’d probably fire me and I’ll have to find another way to pay the bills and save money. I thought maybe I’d go into carpentry with my father. Or maybe I’d just crawl into a ditch and die - that sounded like the best option.
I started the engine and drove the short distance to the O’Connell’s. When I pulled up in the driveway Patty was in the garage tinkering with a tractor from old man Harris’ farm. I instantly felt like I wanted to be sick. I sluggishly got out of the car and walked over to Patty; he looked up and stopped working.
“Mike, you look like crap. You okay, kid?” he asked with no sense of anger toward me. It unsettled me slightly.
“Had a rough day, Sir. I’m sorry I took the car for longer than I said I would. I completely understand if you want to fire me, Sir,” I stated, sounding as depressed as I felt.
He put down the wrench and walked over to me cleaning his hands with a rag. “I wouldn’t fire you over that, Son. You’re a hard worker and that’s difficult to come by these days. I’d be an imbecile to fire you. As for the car, you’ve done all the work on her and I’m sure you’
ll continue to work on her, so she’s yours. Take it as a bonus for all your hard work.”
“Mr. O’Connell, I couldn’t possibly, you said she was your pride and joy?”
He slapped me on the back. ”She was kid, she was, but I wanted to give her to my son and let him work and restore her to the potential she has, but Alistair doesn’t deserve her like you do. You put in the hard yards and you treat her with care and kindness. Alistair honestly doesn’t give a hoot about her, so she’s yours Mike, on one condition,” he said and I nodded waiting to hear. “I heard about you and Bernard’s girl. You did the right thing, Son. It must’ve been tough letting the woman you love go,” he said.
I frowned and nodded.
He patted my shoulder. “Well, you did the right thing; Alistair and Callie have been paired together since Callie’s birth. I know it’s hard to understand, but Alistair will make her happy. Their joining will bring our two families together as one and more importantly it’ll help my business affairs exponentially. Bernard has contacts everywhere and with the merger of our children, both our businesses will grow beyond our imagination.
So, I owe you my gratitude and thanks, for stepping aside and letting nature take its proper course.”
Oh my God, how much in that moment did I want to knock him out? Stand over him and let him know just what I thought of their little plan. How dare they play with Callie and Alistair’s lives in that way? Their children are basically nothing more than a business arrangement. I honestly couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
I scrunched my face up and furrowed my eyebrows in resentment. I was going to quit! I couldn’t stand around watching Callie’s life being dictated to her. I shook my head and went to walk away, but Patty stopped me.
“Here’s the condition kid, you take the car and continue working for me, and that way you can still be around the woman you love. I know it’ll be hard seeing her move on with Alistair, but let me put it this way, if you’re around then you can watch over her, make sure that she’s being taken care of properly.
